Pecan-cracker.



W. L. BLACK. PECAN CRACKER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I3. I917- PatentedMay 29, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N) n cos W. L. BLACK.

PECAN CRACKER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

attoz M4340 Patented May 29, 1917.

. ma en snares in WILLIAM L. BLACK, {)F FURT MoKAVETT, TEXAS.

recast-cesarean.

naaasao.

to be removed without breaking or injur-' mg the halves thereof.

f It is a dificult matter to break the shells of pecans without bruisingor breakingthe kernels, and it is the object of this invention toprovide novel crushing heads for receiving and acting upon the pecansfor efiectively cutting and crushing the shells thereof, withoutinjuring the kernels to any objectionable extent, this beingaccomplished by providing each crushing head with means for cutting andloosening the end or tip of the pecan, and a hole for receiving said tipor end, in connection with means to bear against the body of the shellnext to the tip or end which is cut of? to bulge said body and breakit,thereby enabling the entire shell to be removed from the kernel in thedesired manner.

The invention embodies a crusher head of novel construction for theintended purposes, and means for ejecting the ends or tips of the pecansfrom the hole.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within thescope of What is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention is illustrated in the accom- 'panying drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4C is an enlarged section on thehne 4-4 of Fig. 4 of one crushinghead showing a pecan applied thereto.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedltllay as, fair.

Application filed. February 13, 1917. Serial No. 1483M).

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a modification.

Fig. 6 is an end view of still another form of crushing head.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a suitable frame 1which can be set upon a table or other supporting member, the framehaving the end pieces 2 and the brackets 3 to extend under the support.A clamping screw 4 is carried by the brackets 3 to clamp the frame uponthe support. A-double or right and left hand screw 5 is journaled to theends of the frame, and a crank 6 or other suitable means is attached toone end of the screw for rotating it. A pair of nuts 7 are mounted uponthe screw to be moved toward and away from one another when the screw isrotated in opposite directions, and said nuts have the members 8carrying the crushmg heads, each member 8 carrying three heads opposingthe heads of the other member, and the pairs of heads are of differentsizes whereby various sizes of pecans can be readily and properlycracked, which is not possible with a single pair of crushing heads, dueto the variation inthe sizes of pecans. By providing the sets ofcrushing heads, various sizes of pecans can be applied to therespectivecrushing heads, to accomplish the desired result.

Considering the construction of one crusher head in detail, the sameembodies a provide a continuous annular beveled surface 12 to fit snuglyagainst the body portion of the shell of the pecan, as will hereinaftermore fully ap ear. As shown in Fig. 3, a tubular member or bushing 13 isthreaded into the sleeve 10 from the rear end thereof, and its forwardend is beveled reversely to the flaring or beveling of the end of thesleeve 10, to provide a forwardly and inwardly projecting annularcutting spaced from the beveled surface 12.

edge 1% terminating short of the forward end of the sleeve 10 butlocated within e bushing 13 can be readily removed from the sleeve 10for purpose of replacement or repair, and the sleeve can also be removedfrom the member 8 for the same purposes. Stems or pins 15 are carried bythe ends of the sleeve and project toward one another, the free ends ofsaid pins being enlarged, as at 16, and projecting within the holes ofthe crushing heads.

The pecan is placed between the proper crushing heads when they areseparated, and when the pecan is placed between the crushing heads, thesame are forced toward one another by rotating the crank 6 in the properdirection. The annular cutting edge 14 of each crusher head will then bebrought into engagement with the shell of the nut around the respectiveend or tip thereof, as seen in Fig. 3, the beveled surface 12 being ofsuflicient diameter to be spaced from the body of the nut when thecutting edge 14 contacts with and penetrates the shell. The movement ofthe crushing heads toward one another will cause the cuttin edge 14 ofeach head to penetrate the shel and thereby sever said end or tip of thenut, which can move on into the central hole of the head, the edge ofthe body of the shell lodging in the annular groove or grooved seatbetween the cutting edge H and surface 12, and the body of the shellresting against said surface, so that when the crushing heads movetoward one another farther, the body of the shell will be bulgedoutwardly between the heads, thereby cracking it. without crushing orbreaking the kernel. Then when the crushing heads are separated, the nutwill drop from between them or can be removed by hand, and the ends ortips of the shells may remain in the holes of the crushing heads, whilethe body of the shell, which is cracked, will readily fall off, therebyleaving the kernel in uninjured condition. It will be noted that whenthe crushing heads are separated or retracted, they will be moved overthe pins 15 which will eject the ends or tips of nuts from the holes ofthe crushing heads, thereby preventing clogging. The pins 15 inprojecting into the holes of the crushing heads, will also prevent thenuts 7 and their members 8 from turning out of position. Said pins therefore serve to guide the crushing heads toward and away from one anotherin alinement. Particular attention is directed to the fact that thecrusl'iing head is provided with a hole for receiving the end or tip ofthe pecan, with means within the mouth of said hole for cutting off thetip or end of the shell, and with means adjacent to and immediatelyoutside of the aforesaid means to bear against the body of the shell andforce it toward the opposite crushing head, whereby to bulge and breakthe shell away from the kernel.

In the variation illustrated in Fig. 4, t he sleeve 10 is fitted withinthe opening 9 of the member 8, and has the flange or collar 11 hearingagainst said member, the forward end of the sleeve being flared toprovide the annular bevel 12. The bushing 13 is fitted in the sleeve 10from its forward end, and seats against a shoulder 14 with which thesleeve is provided within its bore, thereby preventing the bushing 13from being forced rearwardly within the sleeve 10' beyond the desiredpoint. The forward end of the bushing 13 has the cutting edge llcorresponding to the cutting edge 14 above described.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 5 and (3, the sleeve 10" whichfits in the opening 9 has the flange or collar 11 bearing against saidmember, and the forward end of the bore of the sleeve is flared toprovide the annular beveled surface 12. The sleeve is provided with anannular series, of inwardly projecting cutting teeth 14; adjacent to thesurface 12, and providing an interrupted annular cutting edge instead ofa continuous annular cutting edge as in the forms of crushing headsabove described. The teeth 11" serve to cut or break off the end or tipof the shell. the body of which will then bear against the surface 12 tobe bulged or expanded and then broken. This modification eliminates thebushing, since the teeth 11 can be integral with the sleeve.

Having thus described the what is claimed as new is A. nut crackerembodying a crushing head provided with a hole to receive the end of anut, a flared beveled portion at and surrounding one end of the hole,and a cutting edge adjacent to and projecting within said beveledportion thereto to provide a grooved seat for the edge of a shell whencut.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. BLACK.

' invention,

lVi tn csses Ivy E. t'inrrson, AGNES ROCKELLI.

and beveled reversely-

